Ballack risks exile after blast at Germany coach Löw

Joachim Löw is to summon his captain, Michael Ballack, to Germany to discuss his future with the national team in the wake of damaging comments made in a newspaper interview.

Ballack accused the Germany coach of lacking respect for older players such as Torsten Frings in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper this week. The Chelsea midfielder is unhappy about the way Frings and Kevin Kuranyi have been sidelined by Löw, suggesting they have been treated with a lack of respect and asking: "Where are we going to end up?"

These remarks have left Löw seething and he wants to speak to Ballack face to face. He said: "I will telephone Michael Ballack and summon him for a talk in Germany. [I will] tell him that I am hugely disappointed with the route he has chosen and that the remarks he has made are unacceptable."

Ballack's future as Germany captain and his whole international career are riding on the discussion and Löw has not ruled out excluding him in the same way as he ended Kuranyi's international career, at least temporarily, 10 days ago. "My decision depends on what happens in this discussion," said Löw. "We will just have to wait and see where we go. We have often encouraged Michael Ballack to speak up about the things he, as captain, sees critically, but for him to use the media to criticise our work is completely wrong and cannot be accepted."

Löw did not play Frings in the recent World Cup qualifiers against Russia and Wales. Kuranyi was told he would not play for Germany again while Löw is in charge after he left the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund at half-time of their World Cup qualifying victory over Russia because he was left out of the 18-man matchday squad.

Löw said: "No player, not even the captain, has the right to criticise the coach in reference to his team selection and choices or to even revolt against the coaching team publicly. It seems that the term 'respect' goes hand in hand with an automatic place in the starting XI.

"But there are other personal and tactical things that a coach must consider when he makes his decisions. The coaching team will not accept anybody saying we lack respect."

Among other things, Ballack said of Frings' omission: "If you don't want anybody any longer, then you should just say so honestly. Respect and loyalty is the least a worthy national player can expect." The Chelsea midfielder also expressed his disappointment at not having been contacted by Löw since undergoing foot surgery two weeks ago.